America has always wanted peace, yet its history is marred by war. It has become a warrior culture marked by battlefields and war memorials, on town commons, to those who have served and died for our country. After nearly three centuries of war 12 Stones Peace Monument memorializes what thousands have died for: a lasting peace.

 

The stones for the 12 sites will be quarried from Barre Vermont's Rock of Ages stone quarries. The twelve stones are to be cut in the proportional dimension of Noah's Ark, (30 x 50 x 300 cubits) or 3 x 5 x 30 feet. Like Noah's Ark, 12 Stones symbolically represent the preservation of life through time and space.

Each of the twelve stones are to be inscribed with a simple location map giving its position in relation to its greater circle and the North American Continent.

The remaining surface of the 12 stones and their sites landscape architecture will comprise designs that express peace as a way of life.

The project is an opportunity to implement the Earth Charters precepts, encouraging the economic viability of sustainable practices through peaceful cultural expression.

12 Stones will honor the art of architectural stone decoration. Each design, generated by regional artist, craftsmen, and landscape architects, will be jury-selected by their peers, and 12 Stone representatives.

Each site will focus on a peaceful aspect of American culture. The Cornerstone of the 12 Stones project is proposed to be placed in Strafford VT at the site of the now abandoned Elizabeth Copper Mine. This site is on the list of superfund sites as it is contaminated by arsenic laden mine tailings. 12 Stones gives a platform to explore creative options directed at the clean up of EPA Super Fund sites. This mine is central to Vermont's metal deposit. Copper being a conduit of communications and electrical transmission makes Strafford an appropriate and symbolic first step of this prodigious work of culture.

Any circle has a center point. The center of this 12 Stones circle, Shelburne Falls MA, is associated with peace, as it is a peace treaty site of First Nation Peoples. For this 13th point a black granite, polished stone ball is envisioned to reflect this peace outward into the faces and lives of North Americans. This ancient peace treaty insures safe and peaceful passage for a days travel in all directions. Conceptually this makes 12 Stones a region of peace, a national peace monument.

It is Champoux's concept that this center point of Shelburne Falls is also the center point of the North American Continent. The edges of the continent being equidistant from this point. Installing these stones of peace at this center of our continental pond will cause a ripple of peaceful intention to radiate and encompass our continent and world.

The sense-of-place designs on the 12 stones will take place in situ when possible, so that community and visitors alike can witness and participate in the creation and installation of 12 Stones. 12 Stones will be a destination site for tourists. Visiting each of the 12 Stones is similar to the 251Club, in Vermont, whose members visit each of the state's 251 towns. Touring the 12 Stones would bring the traveler to sites of early American histories, cultures, mountains, rivers, lakes, ocean, cities, universities, shrines, state parks, farms, and on, and...

What is a sustainable, peaceful economy? If a sustainable culture is to be viable it must be economically viable as well as environmentally sound. 12 Stones is an opportunity to explore such options for sustainable economy. For instance, one of the sites is City Hall Plaza in Boston where plans for a sustainable energy redesign of City Hall are on the table. Given the grand scale and place significance demonstrated by 12 Stones, sustainable businesses will want to be part of this community in renewal, at the center of our American continent.

American culture is a transient one. Many cultures in one. 12 Stones is a sacred space made so by the sacrifice, creativity and prayers of generations of Americans. A cradle of American civilization; 12 Stones marks, honors, and gives form to the great circle of life that is our continent. It mirrors and brings together communities, history, and landscape. In this sense 12 Stones will be an American sacred site on par with any of the ancient world.

If you are artist, organization or individual interested in participating and supporting the 12 Stones Peace Monument, please contact our nonprofit agent: Arkhom, Inc..

To demonstrate support of the greater community endorse this project. 12 Stones needs you to seed fund, give, endow and facilitate this community based initiatives.

If the 12 Stones Peace Monument interest you for any reason or purpose, please contact:

12 Stones Peace Monument c/o Arkhom, Inc. 19 James St. Greenfield, MA 01030 arkhom19@comcast.net 413-773-0010 Fax-774-0101

Benefit groups:

Regional and local artists and organizations,

Stone Carver Guilds

Landscape Architects, Schools and Associations

The Earth Council- Earth Charter (charter use endorsed)

Green Cross International

Peace groups

Environmental Regional Planners and Educators

Regional and Local Tourist Bureaus

Geographic Educators

Sustainable Business

Council of Churches

US and State Park Service

Historic Preservationist

First Nation Tribal Councils

City and Town Councils

the people ...